Spirited Mom. Spirited Child.

Parenting: The spirited way

About Me

Mama to 2 amazing littles. D is my spirited preschooler and the one who made me a mom. He keeps me on my toes and reminds me that life isn't supposed to be perfect. DD is my baby girl and my hope is to be a good example for her of a strong, confident woman. It's a work in progress.

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triedtested

So I have been wearing the The Essential Nursing Tank from Bravado for a full week now, and to say I am in love would be putting it mildly.

I have worn it as a shirt. I have worn it as a bra. I have slept in it. I have worked out in it. I have literally taken it off only to wash it and hang it to dry, which was quick and painless. I have often had to hand wash delicate and expensive bras (and who has time for that?) or realized after putting them in the machine that the bra was ruined or at least never the same again. This was not the case with Bravado’s tank.

It is not only comfortable, seamless and stylish but the functionality makes breastfeeding a snap, which is perfect for a busy mom like me.

I did find that the clips don’t function the exact same as other nursing bras I have worn in the past, so the first night wearing it I had an unhappy baby on my hands for about 3.25 seconds while I tinkered with the clip. Once I got it though, it was completely fine and I haven’t had an issue since. Give me some credit, I was half asleep.

I actually put on my old nursing bra one night while my Bravado tank was in the wash, and woke up with a plugged duct… ouch! Luckily it went away in a couple days with the help of a few hot showers, but that underwire nursing bra went straight into the garbage.

Bravado Designs’ Essential Nursing Tank is a great product and should be in the drawer of every pregnant and breastfeeding mother. I know will be heading out tomorrow to pick up another one for myself and maybe even a couple new bras. My comfort (and yours) is worth every penny.

Whether it’s your first baby or your fifth, being a “new mom” is hard enough without worrying about little details. Breastfeeding can be challenging, especially in the beginning and anything you can do to make it easier and get off to a good start is crucial in those first few months.

The first time I heard of Bravado Designs was after I had been nursing D for about nine months. My local Momstown was offering a chance for its members to be on a test panel for Bravado nursing bras. I got to try out the Body Silk Seamless Nursing Bra which is still the comfiest bra I have ever owned to date. I continued to wear it long after D was weaned, using their handy conversion kit. Unfortunately our dog decided it would make an awesome chew toy and that was the end of my beloved bra. I may or may not have cried.

That being said, when I was given the opportunity to be a test wearer again for Bravado, and visit their head office in Toronto for a fitting, I jumped at the chance!

This morning DD and I hopped in the car and braved the rush hour traffic heading into the city. She slept the entire way of course and I put on some tunes for the ride. A perfect way to spend a sunny Monday morning if you ask me, even if it was -15.

After arriving at Bravado and signing in, we were greeted by Lindsay who brought us into the fitting room. We chatted over a cup of tea and then got down to business.

First, Dayna took my measurements and then I tried on a few bras to help determine my proper size. I learned that 80% of women are wearing the incorrect bra size – and I was one of them. I also found out that my band size measures quite small compared to my cup size, making it harder to fit that “perfect fit”. I had measured myself at home prior to today, using a method I found online, and estimated myself to be about a 36D (my prepregnancy size), but when I was fitted by Dayna and Lindsay, it turns out I am actually a 34H/I… yikes! This is a prime example of why every woman needs a proper fitting. Needless to say, a good nursing bra or tank is essential to keeping my, ahem, girls in check.

It was fun trying on all the different styles of bras and Dayna and Lindsay were so awesome and friendly and made me feel right at home. The hour long fitting flew by and DD woke up hungry and just in time to have our photo snapped by Julie, Digital Marketing Manager for Bravado.

I had such an amazing experience today at Bravado Designs, and I even got to take home an Essential Nursing Tank to try out. Of course I put it on as soon as I got home and haven’t taken it off since. It is seriously so comfortable! I will be doing a review here on the blog later in the week.